Chinese CDC answers questions on Beijing virus outbreak

As Beijing is battling a new COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention answered several questions of concern from the public.

Q: Can we still eat vegetables the supermarkets procured from the Xinfadi wholesale market in early June?

A: Currently there is no evidence that coronavirus can affect people through food via the digestive tract. The vegetables are safe for consumption.

Q: Can we still buy and eat seafood?

A: No evidence has yet found showing that humans can contract the coronavirus by eating seafood.

Available research shows that the novel coronavirus is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and person-to-person close contact. Aerosol transmission is possible over prolonged exposure to high concentrations of aerosols in an enclosed environment. Other transmission routes of the virus remain to be confirmed.

Q: How long does an asymptomatic person need to be quarantined to pose no risk of infecting others?

A: Based on the current knowledge of the novel coronavirus, when an asymptomatic person meets the criteria of being released from concentrated medical observation, he/she has no risk of infecting others.

Asymptomatic carriers can be released after they have been put under concentrated medical observation for 14 days and receive two consecutive negative nucleic acid test results, with a sampling interval of more than 24 hours. Those who test positive and show no clinical symptoms have to remain under concentrated medical observation.